Strategies for Integrated Human and Ecological Assessment Glenn Suter National Center for Environmental Assessment U.S. Environmental Protection Agency April 21, 2009 1

My Goals and, I assume, yours Preserve and Protect the Environment Per se and as a human habitat Good environmental decisions Good scientific input

Causal Assessment Team One World Ground rules Out of respect for hearing people on the phone, we’ll break several times and ask for input from the team and questions from Mike and Jeff. But please no interruptions between those break points. Planning while Keeping our eyes on the prize One Decision 3

Integration is Imperative If scientists do not present a coherent and consistent assessment Decision makers will choose one result Health or (rarely) Ecological or ignore the science Stakeholders will be confused and will not accept the results Bad decisions will be made

A Tale of Three Piscivores

Other Benefits of Integration Efficiency – less duplication of effort Scientific Quality – the best science from ecologists and health scientists is used Completeness – unconventional & indirect exposures and effects are revealed Sentinels – nonhuman organisms are more exposed, can be sampled and are often more sensitive

Efficiency from shared information Common sources Common physical/chemical properties Common transport and fate processes Common exposure processes Common modes and mechanisms of action

It seems obvious but… Different approaches used to extrapolate from rats to humans and mink Different models used to estimate aquatic concentrations Separate searches for mammalian toxicity data Different plant concentrations in dietary models

A Tale of Two Plant Concentrations versus Cp = aCs

HHRA & ERA should be Consistent Same or consistent scenarios Same or consistent assumptions Same or consistent spatial and temporal scales Comparable effects endpoints Reproductive decrement in river otters and subsistence fishermen Same expression of probability and uncertainty

All these goals can be met by better communication and cooperation

Deeper Integration Requires a different view of the world Chemicals do not just make people sick The environment is not just a route of exposure Human welfare depends on services of nature Not included in conventional risk assessments

Integrated World View

Examples Water, air, soil purification Food resources Aesthetic experiences Health benefits from experience of nature

Integrated Assessment Requires an Integrated Framework The Integrated Risk Assessment Working Group Collaboration of WHO/IPCS, OECD, EU, & U.S. EPA Goal: To promote integration of human and ecological risk assessment Developed a peer-reviewed framework Developed case studies

WHO Integrated Risk Assessment Framework Problem Formulation With Hazard Identification Analysis Risk Characterization INTEGRATED RISK ASSESSMENT Characterization of Effects Exposure Assessment Dose- Response RISK MANAGEMENT STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION

Encourages Interactions: Problem Formulation Stage Risk managers set goals for risk assessors Stakeholders raise issues and expectations Risk assessors clarify goals and issues

Common Problem Formulation Assures Compatible Results Analysis Integration of Available Information Source and Stressor Characteristics Systems Potentially at Risk Human Health/ Ecological Effects Assessment Endpoints (Hazard ID) Conceptual Model Plan RISK MANAGEMENT STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION

A Fully Integrated EA Framework Analysis from Effect to Cause Environmental Management Problem Detection Problem Solving Condition Assessment Outcome Assessment Predictive Assessments Resolution Environmental Epidemiology Causal Assessments Analysis from Cause to Effect 19

Environmental Epidemiology Problem Detection Problem Solving Condition Assessment Causal Assessment Biological Physical Chemical Environmental Epidemiology Cause Source Management Risk Problem Resolution Outcome Assessment Outcome Predictive Assessment Environmental Management 20

Prospects Toxicology is becoming more mechanistic Should encourage integration Commonality at molecular level Environmental science is becoming more holistic Place-based Larger scales Both trends can promote HHRA/ERA integration and integration of types of assessment

Prospects U.S. EPA is moving toward integration RAF’s Cumulative Risk Assessment Framework NERL producing integrated exposure models NHEERL Wildlife Research Strategy Has a human relevancy framework NRMRL sustainable communities (Stella, MO) Services of Nature Research Program But the EU is further along REACH mandates integrated assessment NoMiracle: research for integrated assessment Look forward to fully integrated environmental monitoring, assessment and decision making

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